Iran and Russia

Whom to hug, if not the bear?

America comes between old allies

FAR from home, the Russian technicians look glum. They work at Bushehr, a nearly-finished nuclear reactor on the shores of the Persian Gulf, defended on all sides by anti-aircraft guns. Russia is the only country willing to help Iran pursue its nuclear dreams. Others ask why a country with so much oil needs nuclear power.

Russia's foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, visited Iran this week. He and his Iranian counterpart said they opposed American belligerence towards Iraq, and defended their co-operation on Iran's nuclear programme. But the alliance between Russia and Iran is not as carefree as it was. In 2001, Iran's president, Muhammad Khatami, was fêted in Moscow. Since then, American pressure (aided by Iran's abrasive bargaining style), has stopped Iran receiving the $2 billion-odd worth of sophisticated weaponry it was then trying to buy. Now, the alliance is under more strain.

Last week, Colin Powell, America's secretary of state, alleged that despite having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran had a “robust nuclear-weapons development programme”. On March 11th, the Iranian government invited journalists to visit Bushehr and see that nothing untoward was happening there. But the sites of new concern to western intelligence agencies are Natanz, visited for the first time a fortnight ago by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Arak.

In the past, Russia has allayed western fears by belittling Iran's nuclear expertise, and drawing attention to an agreement whereby Russia would take back used fuel from the reactor at Bushehr. But Iran has taken steps towards producing its own reactor fuel. Mohamed ElBaradei, the IAEA's head, noted the “sophistication” of the uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz.

Having clashed with America over Iraq, Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, may not relish a quarrel over Iran as well. He would doubtless be relieved if Iran accepted more intrusive IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities. But Asadullah Saburi, Iran's second-highest nuclear official, says this is unlikely until the world drops what he regards as an unjust “embargo”.

Iran's isolation, which has grown more acute since George Bush included it in his “axis of evil”, forces it to rely on Russia for many things. Spare parts for its Boeing airliners are hard to come by, so Iran has turned to inferior Russian craft. The Iranians blame Russian inefficiency for repeated delays in finishing the Bushehr reactor. Russia replies that Iran has been slow to pay its bills. Mr Saburi hints that the Russians, who hoped to win a contract to complete a second (half-built) reactor on the same site, may be disappointed. But if the Russians do not build the five extra reactors Iran says it eventually wants, it is hard to imagine who will.